Isabelle Autissier departs for Antarctic to test 'Growler' detection

Isabelle Autissier at the helm of Ada 2 SW

The Ada 2, skippered by famed French sailor Isabelle Autissier, this week departed Ushuaia in Argentina's Tierra del Fuego for Antarctica on a mission which will be of huge potential benefit to adventurous cruising sailors - the detection of icebergs and growlers beneath the surface of the water.

No Mans Land Project © SW

The system will be tested during the 'No Man's Land Project', a sailing and mountain climbing expedition.

Six crew are on board Ada 2, and it is Isabelle's fourth expedition. With her are two sailors, Tristan Guyon Le Bouffy and Jacques Marty, two glaciologist-climbers Patrick Wagnon and Lionel Daudet, the professional mountaineer famous for climbing some out-of-the-ordinary peaks and Mathieu Cortial, trainee guide and member of a mountain rescue team.

Isabelle Safran research © SW

French conglomerate Safran is attempting to develop the anti-UFO system which they are testing in the process. It is aimed at spotting all unidentified floating objects. They way that is works is that an infra-red camera at the mast head is connected to a screen with alarms. These alarms enable small objects, as small as 2x2m, to be spotted, when their temperature is different from the water.

Peter I Island © SW

The 'No Man's Land Project' will involve more than ten weeks of sailing through ice. The Ada 2 is to sail along the west of the Antarctic Peninsula and the boat will be used as a base camp for climbing unconquered peaks. The peninsular is many hundreds of miles long, and a dream for climbers in search of a 'first'. Finally they will reach Peter I Island, where the mountaineers hope to climb Lars Christensen Peak, at 1755 metres. There is no anchorage at Peter I, so the Ada 2 will be forced to wait 'off' while the climbers make their attempt. The island is one of the latest discoveries on the planet, being only discovered in 1821, and only two boats have previously approached the island.

“During this expedition, if possible, we shall be sailing down to 69 degrees south. In the Peter I region of the Antarctic Peninsula, the charts are not very accurate. It means watching where we’re going, while sailing almost all of the time in amongst the icebergs,” Isabelle described before departure. “We shan’t be using the Safran system for navigational purposes, but will be making regular 5-minute recordings, which will then be used by Safran.

'For me, this is a way to give a helping hand and enable this technology to advance, as it is aimed at improving the safety of sailors at sea.”